Dark Night of the Soul

What does the phrase, "Dark Night of the Soul" mean? It refers to those sleepless nights when we find ourselves troubled and torn and without answers, crying in the night. Another phrase that correlates closely is, "It's always darkest before the dawn." If you've ever observed this phenomenon, it does actually get darkest just before dawn...and then the sun starts to show itself.

It is some comfort then to realize this and remind yourself when you are in the darkest part of the dark night of the soul. Seeing it as simply another cycle can be slightly soothing in the darkest night. It probably won't help the helpless feelings, but can slightly calm the mind.

When you find yourself having a "dark night", what are some things that can help you move through it?

1.) Don't fight it. Once it's obvious you're going to be sleepless, give in to that. One possibility is to turn on the light and read. Escapist, writing comes in handy at times like this since i t can distract us temporarily. Usually by taking our minds off problems, we can regain a sleepiness and go back to sleep.

2.) There will be times when things are so upsetting that even reading does not work...indeed, not only does it not work, insofar as getting us sleepy, but it's even impossible to read. In these kinds of situations, it may be best to actually give in and get out of bed and do something else. If this is your course of action, there are a couple of possibilities as to what to do when you're up in the middle of the night. Let's assume that you're too restless to watch TV and there's nothing on in the middle of the night anyway.

a. Working on strategies or action plans to solve the problem is a great solution. Yeah, if it was that easy, you'd solve the problem during the daylight. Sometimes, though sleeplessness can be a great source of ideas and brainstorming that is not accessible to us in regular waking hours. One caution, though, be sure and write all your ideas down clearly and completely. It's usually a one shot deal and if you don't get the details down on paper, you can't replicate it later.

b. The second mid-night activity that can shift you energetically is to get up and clean, clear and organize something. Especially target something that really bugs you in the day time. If there are various possibilities (and there frequently are) consider doing the one that bugs you the most that you have the best chance of completing in the hours you have available.

The main consideration is not to get something all torn up and leave a giant mess. Choosing something that can definitely get completed is the key.

Once the new day has begun, a lot of energy comes from having made something better, and that alone can make the new day a bit brighter. We all experience the "dark night of the soul" in life. When it is something that keeps us sleepless, we can best calm our self by using that sleepless time to take small steps to improving our life.

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Suzi Elton is a success coach working with highly creative types to create income that matches their talent. She has coached hundreds of clients to approach their goals strategically through tiny steps to bring about quantum leaps. Get free Life Purpose exercises, at http://mylifepurposecoaching.com